Case construction for articles of furniture



Aug. 16, 1938. F. T. PARRISH CASE CONSTRUCTION FOR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE Filed March 24, 1936 Jam)?! JFarz/f TE/wsfz Patented An. 16,,- id

2,126,916 case coNs'rRnc'rroN FGR anthems or r TlURE Frank T. Parrish, Gardner, Mass, assignor to Heywood-Wakefield (Company, ton, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 241, 1936, Serial N0. 70,599

1 (Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved case construction for articles of furniture, such as chests, dressers or desks, employing framed partitions between separate drawers or compartments.

The object of the invention is to provide a case construction, characterized by dust-proof framed partitions so secured to the sides of the case that expansion of the partitions or the sides, due to absorption of moisture, cannot result in any warping or splitting of either the partitions or the sides of the case.

The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. l is a view in front elevation, of a case construction embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a partition embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale, showing the manner of assembling a partition in the case.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, showing the manner of holding a partition in position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of a partition.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the invention is shown, for purposes of illustration, as being embodied in a case construction, such as might be employed for chests of drawers, dressers, desks and similar articles of furniture. The case consists of side members I, l, between which extend partitions 2 for supporting drawers 3, if desired, and the invention concerns the construction of the partitions 2 and their attachment to the side members I.

As best shown in Figs. 3 and 6, each partition 2 consists of front and back rails 4 and 5 and side rails 6, with a central panel I supported around its edges in grooves provided by the rails. The ends of each of the side rails 6 provide tenons 8 received in grooves 9 in the rails 4 and 5, and it is to be noted that the distance between the shoulders of the tenons 8 of a rail 6 is slightly less than the distance between the sides of the rails d and 5. In assembling a'partition 2, the tenons 8 are not glued in the grooves 9, nor is the panel 1 glued, so that the side rails 6 and panel "I are to some extent freely supported between the rails d and 5, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Each. rail It or 5 provides tenons it of any desired form at its ends that are adapted to be received in openings It provided in the side members i, as shown in Fig. 4, the openings H extending only partially through a side member l In putting together a case, each partition 2 is assembled as a unit, as shown in Fig. 3, and placed between'the side members i, or the partitions may be built up on a side member. Either way, the tenons it at the ends of the rails t and 5,

are inserted in the openings ll of the side members i, and the tenons lllthen secured by screws i2, inserted from the edges of the side members ll. As shown in Fig. 5, the screws l2 are received in countersunk openings l3, which permit the heads of the screws l2 to be concealed by suitable plugs it. Obviously, the tenons HI can also be secured by driving in small nails from the edges of the side members I.

With the rails 4 and 5 of a partition I immovably secured to the side members I, as shown in Fig. 2, the side rails 6 and the central panel I are, in effect, floating between the rails 41 and 5 without any direct attachment to the side members i of the case. Consequently. any expansion or contraction of the parts which may take place due to absorption of moisture or changes in temperature, will not result in splitting and warping of either the partitions 2 or the side members i. In any such expansion or contraction, the rails t and 5 act as if they were a part of the side members i, with the outside edges of the rails always remaining flush with the side members. Furthermore, relative movement can take place between the side members I and rails 6, without strains being imparted to any of the members of the casing.

I claim:

A case construction comprising spaced side members and partitions connecting said side members, each partition comprising front and rear rails immovably secured at opposite ends to the side members, with the outside edges of said rails flush with the side members, side rails extending adjacent to said side members and between said front and rear rails, said side rails being entirely free of attachment to the side members and supported only by said front and rear rails, said rails having tongue and groove interengagement to'provide for a slight movement of the front and rear rails, with said side members, toward or away from each other in the plane of the partition, and a panel supported by said rails to provide a continuous partition, said panel and rails having interconnecting supporting means providing for free movement of the panel relative to the rails.

FRANK T. PARRISH. 

